Saturday, 8 September 2012

Open Letter to the Editor of the Carmarthen Journal

Regular readers of this blog will know that concerns have been growing for some time about the editorial independence of the Carmarthen Journal, and things have gone from bad to worse this year with a whole string of important local news stories not being reported by the paper. What these stories have in common is that they don't show the County Council in a good light.

The Journal has a great history and some very dedicated and loyal staff. Like all local newspapers it faces huge challenges, but not all local newspapers have to deal with a PR-obsessed local authority bent on forcing them into becoming uncritical mouthpieces of the top brass in County Hall.

Yes, but that is the commercial right of the newspaper. The right to transact thier business as they see fit, just as the right to buy (or not to buy) the paper is your right. If County Hall are bullying the paper ("press management" it is called) then that is a matter that needs to be taken up with the County Council through the elected members.

"Real journalism consists of what someone doesn't want published, all the rest is public relations." (George Orwell)

That's why I don't buy the local advertising rags, which are little more than the "Carmarthenshire News" propaganda sheet. Plus, their dead tree versions will all be closed within 5 years anyway. It will be up to the "citizen investigative journalist" to do the work their paid colleagues used to do.

Apart from Private Eye of course, which will survive for decades I expect in paper form because it hasn't sold its soul and is full of stuff you can read, rather than just put under the cat litter.